Of Sickness, Dragons, and Happy Endings
by AsLostAsAliceAsMadAsTheHatter
Summary: When Regina takes pity on Maleficent and takes care of her when she's sick, she discovers more than she could ever have hoped. DragonQueen if you squint, tilt your head, and perhaps read backwards.


_'All right,'_ Regina thought as she heard the blonde woman sneeze for what had to be the hundredth time, _'this has to stop.'_ Before she could say anything, Cruella sighed heavily and faced the woman.

"Darling, are you quite all right?" she asked, tone conveying that she couldn't possibly care less.

"Of course," the blonde answered, though her voice sounded far less smooth than usual. "Simply allergies."

"In the middle of winter?" Ursula deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at the woman.

"Yes." This time it was Regina who gave her an incredulous look. The blonde, tired of the attention, stood. "Perhaps some fresh air will help."

With that she exited, a cold breeze left in her wake. Regina silently counted to twenty before standing as well. The other women looked at her questioningly.

"What? Can't I step outside without being given the third degree?"

Neither woman gave a response, something the brunette was glad for. Shrugging into her coat, and grabbing the blonde's, she stepped outside. The woman wasn't hard to spot, as she was leaning against the side of the cabin, arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Regina observed silently for a moment, noticing the occasional shiver travel down the other woman's spine.

"Cold, Mal?" she called, breaking the silence.

To her credit, the blonde didn't start at the sound of her voice, merely glanced at her from the corner of her eye.

"What's it to you, Regina?"

Good question, why did she care? Perhaps because in their old lives Maleficent was her only friend. And maybe she did feel a tad bit guilty about trapping her under the town for nearly three decades and killing her twice. Also, she still cared, still yearned for the friendship they once shared, at least a little.

"Let's just say I missed you," she chose to respond, stepping close enough to the woman that she could drape her coat around her shoulders.

Maleficent never said thank-you, it wasn't their way, but the slight dip of her head told Regina she'd appreciated the gesture.

"It's colder than I remembered it," Maleficent said, pulling her coat tightly around herself.

"Or perhaps there's something else the matter with you," the brunette said, stepping into the sorceress' personal space. Up close, she could see the paleness of the other woman's skin, the glassiness of her eyes. She reached out and lightly touched her cheek, shifting upward when her hand wasn't immediately swatted away. The heat that didn't belong warmed her palm, and she removed her hand. "You've got a fever, dear," she said.

"That doesn't surprise me," replied the blonde, turning her head quickly as she sneezed.

"Must be one hell of a cold to make you this miserable."

"You must remember, Regina," Maleficent said with a sniff, "that its been thirty years since I've seen the light of day. It makes sense that my immune system isn't what it once was."

The ex-Queen bit her lip, guilt flooding through her. Seeing this, the other woman smirked, content in the knowledge that she'd hit her mark.

"I'm sorry, Mal," Regina whispered, shocking the blonde.

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry. Look, we both know apologies aren't my strong suit, but I am sorry for trapping you underground for nearly thirty years and for being an indirect cause of your death." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I missed you, okay? I missed our friendship. And you were right, the curse only made me emptier than I was to begin with."

"That's all I wanted to hear," the blonde said with a smirk, though it was more teasing than venomous.

She had missed their friendship too, and had hoped they could rekindle it. Thirty years was a long time to sleep, and while she slept she remembered. She couldn't recall when her anger at having been trapped as a dragon dissipated, but it had, and it left her lonely, something she hadn't been for years. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman's shoulders. Shocked, but pleased, Regina hugged her back.

She hadn't thought it would be so easy to be forgiven, but perhaps Maleficent had changed, though she wouldn't admit it. Their moment was broken when the sorceress began a coughing fit, the sound of which made the brunette cringe. She rubbed her friend's back, hoping to soothe her. As Maleficent calmed she dropped her head onto Regina's shoulder exhaustedly.

"You shouldn't be out in the cold," the brunette murmured into the taller woman's ear.

"I'd rather be out here freezing my ass off than in there with those two," she responded, her voice even rougher than before.

Regina held her for a moment, thinking.

"Why don't you come with me to my mansion? It would give you somewhere to recover in peace, away from Rumplestiltskin and the others."

"That sounds wonderful. I don't know how much more of their bickering I can take."

Grinning, Regina released her, walking back into the cabin and leaning against the doorframe. The two women stared at her, obviously having broken off an argument.

"What do you want, darling?" Cruella asked. "We were a bit busy."

"Maleficent and I are leaving. We have some business to attend to in town."

"What about Rumple? He said to stay put."

"Well, then I guess you have two choices. Either tell him I don't give a damn or that I'm tried of staring at these same four walls. Your choice."

Leaving the two with mouths agape, she shut the door and returned to her friend's side. She was exactly as she had left her, though she noticed she seemed to be letting her defenses down now that she had apologized. She pulled her close, getting a good grip. Purple smoke surrounded them as they teleported to the mansion.

They arrived in the front hall, in front of the grand staircase. The smoke dissipated, leaving Regina supporting the majority of Maleficent's weight. The blonde seemed to have decided that there was no longer a need to pretend all was well, and was showing just how unwell she was.

"Come on, Mal. Let's get you upstairs."

The blonde groaned, the thought of climbing stairs causing her already sore muscles to ache further. The ex-Queen bit her lip, reluctant to smoke them to her bedroom as she didn't know the affects such travel had on an ill person. Instead, she bore the sorceress' weight and began the climb, going slowly and helping her along the way. The bedroom was a welcome sight to both women, and Regina moved a little faster, her own muscles beginning to protest at the extra weight she carried. She eased Maleficent onto the bed, watching with a touch of amusement as she fell onto her back and curled into the mattress.

A wave of her hand changed the blonde into a tank top and loose black pants. Her hair tumbled down her shoulders, freed from its prison of bobby pins. Waving a hand at her own outfit, Regina changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. Approaching the bed, she coaxed the other woman into sliding over so that she could turn the covers back. Maleficent crawled underneath the welcoming blankets like they were the only thing that could save her life.

Her shivering was more pronounced now, something that worried Regina. She quickly retrieved the thermometer, and after explaining what it was, was successful in taking the woman's temperature.

"One hundred and two. That's awfully high for a simple cold," Regina said, brushing some hair out of her friend's face.

Maleficent leaned into the cool touch, barely concealing a whimper when the woman removed her hand. She was slightly disgusted at herself for displaying such weakness, but she supposed she could blame it on her illness. At least she knew word of her pathetic behavior wouldn't reach Cruella and Ursula's ears. Deciding to just be _human_ for once, she allowed Regina to fuss over her. If she were honest with herself she would admit she enjoyed the attention, for once not caused by terror.

"Are you hungry?" Regina asked, drawing the woman out of her thoughts.

"No, just exhausted and irritated."

"That's normal," the brunette said with a smile. Maleficent watched as she entered the bathroom and came out with two small pills and some water. "Here, these should help with your cough and fever." She looked at the pills warily. "They're not poison, they're medicine."

Deciding to trust the woman, she swallowed the pills and waited.

"Nothing's happening."

"That's because they take a while to work, but when they do start working they should put you to sleep."

A box of tissues was the next thing to appear, and the blonde immediately took one. She felt disgusting as she tried to clear her nasal passages, but the desire to breathe properly was strong. Balling the used tissue up in her hand, she dramatically spread her arms to the side, giving in to the feeling of utter misery.

Regina secretly found this cute, having never seen the other woman so vulnerable. She leaned over, gingerly plucking the used tissue out of the blonde's hand. Maleficent watched her with gratitude shining in her eyes. Having disposed of the tissue, the ex-Queen sat beside her friend, feeling pity and worry stir inside her.

"It's been a long time since you've been sick, hasn't it?"

"And even longer since it was this bad."

She began to cough again, prompting the brunette to help her into a sitting position. Supporting the woman against her, she rubbed her back, waiting until the fit was over. As she lowered her back down, she could hear the rattling in her chest that signaled the cold was settling there. It wasn't a good thing, it meant it would take her longer to recover, and could potentially turn into pneumonia or something equally as bad.

"This is horrible," Maleficent complained.

"Be that as it may, be glad it isn't something far worse," Regina replied. She noticed the fluttering of the other woman's eyelids and adjusted the blankets around her. The pills were having a faster affect than she thought they should, but at least they were helping. "Get some rest. I'll be here if you need me."

She dimmed the lights on her way out, plunging the room into almost-darkness.

* * *

When Maleficent woke later in the night she was momentarily confused. She didn't recognize her surroundings, and felt her magic flare in response. She shifted, hoping to find out where she was. "Shhh," came a voice from her right side, a familiar voice. It was then she remembered the events of the morning. She turned over, gaze landing on an extremely relaxed Regina, book in hand.

"Are you enjoying that, dear?" she asked, startling the woman.

"Oh, you're awake. It's something to pass the time, not overly interesting. Did you sleep well?"

"I suppose," she replied, sliding over to curl against the brunette's side.

"You were never this cuddly before," Regina said, amusement coloring her tone as she moved her arm to accommodate the ill woman.

"You've never seen me ill before," Maleficent countered, ducking her head when she sneezed. Regina absentmindedly began to run her fingers through her hair, causing the blonde to practically melt into her side. "That feels amazing," she purred, head resting against the other woman's shoulder.

Regina felt the unnatural warmth burn through her sleeve, and decided that if the next dose of medicine didn't bring the fever down a shower might be in order. They sat quietly, Maleficent dozing in and out while she continued to read. She would never admit it, but she enjoyed the feeling of a body next to her. Loneliness had been a problem for her over the years as well, and sharing a bed was a rarity. The whole thing seemed very domestic, and once she realized that she had to fight to contain her laughter. Leave it to the Evil Queen to tame a dragon.

Later on, when she noticed the time and grew tired of reading, she stretched and put her book away. It was time for Maleficent to take some more medicine and she was hungry. Displacing the woman, who growled her displeasure, she went to retrieve her pills.

"Here, take these," she said, nudging her friend.

"I already did."

"It's important you take more than two. They wear off so you need to take more." Obviously annoyed, the sorceress swallowed the medicine. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Okay, give me a few minutes and I'll bring something up."

With that she left the woman to her brooding and headed down to the kitchen. Rather than just open a can of soup (she hated the stuff), she rummaged in the fridge for some chicken she knew she had, grabbing it and some vegetables. Setting a pot on the stove to boil, she began chopping the chicken and vegetables. She salted the water, knowing that the mineral would be the only thing the blonde would be able to taste. Once the water was boiling she scraped everything into the pot and covered it, turning down the heat to let it simmer for a bit.

While that was going on she tidied up after herself and got down the tray and a bowl. Stirring the soup, she made sure it tasted all right before turning off the stove. The kitchen smelled heavenly, and Regina was quite proud of herself for the idea. Carefully, she poured some of it into the bowl, making sure to leave enough for later on. She poured the woman some juice out of the fridge, dreading the argument she'd hear about wine.

Grabbing an apple for herself, she balanced the tray and headed back upstairs. Maleficent was sitting up perusing through her book when she entered.

"How do you stomach this garbage?" she asked, waving the novel in the air.

"The same way you stomach small children. One at a time," she quipped, setting the tray across her lap.

To her surprise, the sorceress didn't argue about the wine, just calmly ate and drank what she was given. Somewhat stunned, Regina carried the tray back down to the kitchen after she had finished.

"That was good," Maleficent said as she returned. "Did you make it?"

"Yes, I've found homemade tastes quite a bit better than the canned stuff," she replied as she settled back down beside her.

As she had earlier, Maleficent curled against the ex-queen's side. Full, drugged and warm, she was more than happy to settle in for the night. A chill ran down her spine, and she curled further into the woman's side. Regina, sensing that she wasn't going to get anything accomplished from that point onward, turned her side of the covers down and climbed underneath them, clothes and all. Ordinarily she would have changed into pajamas first, but she somehow sensed the woman clinging to her wouldn't allow her to move unless it was to lie down. Her bedside clock read nine-thirty, not terribly late, but enough so that she could convince herself to rest.

With a wave, the lights were off and her alarm set. She turned to face the sorceress, smiling when she noticed she was practically asleep already. That was good, that meant the medicine was working and hopefully eliminating whatever was causing her illness. She pulled her against her as she adjusted, cradling her close so that her head rested below her chin. Maleficent latched on to the source of warmth, curling into the hold and fitting herself against soft curves. She sighed in her sleep, her subconscious realizing she was no longer alone.

* * *

Regina woke in the middle of the night to coughing. Blearily, she sat up and squinted through the dark to find the blonde that until recently she had been spooned up behind. Her eyes landed on a sliver of light seeping out from her mostly-closed bathroom door. She cringed as the next round of coughing started up, getting up to investigate. She found Maleficent sitting hunched over on the edge of the tub, shivering violently while trying to regain control of her breathing.

Wasting no time, she crouched in front of the blonde and looked up at her, rubbing soothing circles on her knee. She could feel the heat radiating through the pajama pants, and while the coughing fit tapered off she reached up and placed a hand on the woman's forehead. The skin was on fire to the touch, and Regina knew she had to get the fever to break before it got too high.

"Mal, listen to me. Your fever keeps spiking and it's dangerous. We need to get it down and since the pills aren't working you have two options; a cool shower or a cool bath. Choose."

She felt like she was talking to a small child, but she knew the general exhaustion and fever would take a toll on the older woman's cognitive skills. The blonde nodded to show she understood, and Regina smiled in encouragement.

"Bath," Maleficent managed to get out, her throat burning like fire, and the irony was not lost on her.

"Okay," Regina said, relief evident in her voice. "Do you need help or can I run the water while you undress?"

"Um, help?" the sorceress asked, despising her request despite her earlier decision to allow herself to be taken care of.

The brunette, having suspected the answer, merely smiled and instructed her to lift her arms so she could slide the tank top off. The pants were next, and a little harder to manage as they involved Regina literally pulling them down herself, an embarrassing moment for both women. She then unclasped the woman's bra, leaving her to remove her own underwear while she filled the tub. She checked the water as she filled it, making sure to balance it at a low cold to a warm temperature. Maleficent stood behind her watching, arms wrapped around her chest as she trembled.

"There," Regina said as she finished her task. "I'll get a towel while you get in. Please be careful."

The only indication of the blonde entering the water was her hiss as the cool liquid met her overheated skin. She sat in the water curled up, muscles tight, to protect herself from the chill. Regina, sensing the blonde's distress as she turned, lowered herself to her knees beside the tub. Without a word she wet a washcloth and began to clean the sweat off the older woman's body. The gentle caresses felt good to the sorceress, and she gradually relaxed under the ministrations.

Regina debated on washing her hair too, but decided that wet hair and sickness didn't mix well. She was gentle as she rinsed the blonde off, making sure to wash away all the soap.

"There. Feel better?" she asked as she sat back onto her calves, knees protesting her position.

"Quite a bit," Maleficent responded, eyes closed and head propped against the edge of the tub.

"Are you ready to get out? The bath seems to have done the trick," Regina said, eyeing the woman who had more color to her skin than before.

"A few more minutes," the sorceress mumbled, allowing the water to help her relax as it grew warmer.

The brunette nodded, glad something was finally helping her friend. She allowed her five more minutes before reaching over and draining the water. By that point it was all Maleficent could do to keep her eyes open. Regina helped her stand, ignoring the water soaking into her sweater. She wrapped the towel around her before she could get cold, patting her skin dry as fast as possible. A hand wave created another tank top and pants set, though this time the pants were gray.

She led her back to the bed, tucking her in before stepping over to her dresser and removing her usual pair of pajamas. As she changed she looked the sorceress over, pleased to hear slightly clearer breathing and see more color in her face. Sighing as she caught sight of her alarm clock, she snuggled back into bed behind the blonde, pulling her flush against her front. The older woman murmured in her sleep, hand coming to rest atop the one on her waist. Regina placed a kiss on top of her head, not considering the meaning behind it.

Dozing in and out for the next few hours, she made sure to always hold the blonde close. She groaned when her alarm went off, waking her friend and dragging her into unwanted consciousness. Magic, not her own, flared and in an instant the clock was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal and plastic.

"Mal, did you have to?" Regina asked, though there was no real anger in her voice.

"It made an infernal racket so I made it stop. I see nothing wrong with that," she responded, voice still rough.

She coughed before turning and burying her face in the younger woman's neck. She reciprocated by rubbing her back, something she'd realized the woman enjoyed. Maleficent wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her in place.

"I have to go to work, dear," Regina said, secretly enjoying how much the woman needed her.

"No you don't, stay here."

The brunette chuckled, amused by how childlike the powerful woman became when sick.

"I suppose I could use a day off," she agreed, not finding it in herself to leave the blonde alone and miserable.

"Of course you can," came the muffled response.

Regina laughed at the other woman's answer, as though she fully expected to get her way. And in that moment she realized something, something vital. She didn't need to find the author, she had her happy ending right in front of her. Her happiness was secure in Emma, the Charmings, Henry, _her family_, and the woman beside her. For the first time since Daniel she felt content and complete, and she realized how much she missed it.

She decided then that she would break from the Queens of Darkness, and hopefully she could convince Maleficent to leave with her. There was no life she'd rather be living than the one she was, she concluded, no matter how screwed up it could be.

"Why so happy?" Maleficent asked when she heard her laugh.

"I've finally found my happy ending."

"And what's that?" she asked sarcastically, but also curious.

"Right here, right now, with you. With you and Henry and the rest of my family, that's my happy ending."


End file.
